Simply Red

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Meltaways

2011-12-12T10:15:00.002-06:00

Can you believe it?! I'm actually posting a blog! I have just been busy with this and that and haven't really been feeling "the blog" lately. However, I thought I would share this yummy little cookie recipe. It would go great on a Christmas cookie plate. These Shortbread Meltaways are light and melt in your mouth delicious. I dipped some in chocolate and left some plain. Very good either way!

Shortbread Meltaways
1 c. butter, softened(do not use margarine)
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. cornstarch
chocolate almond bark

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioner's sugar. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Meanwhile, melt about 1/2 package of almond bark according to package directions. Dip half of cookie in chocolate. Let cool.
**I think this recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies. The amount is not on my original recipe and I forgot to count them.

Rosettes

2011-11-04T09:03:00.005-05:00

I finally made rosette pins! I've been seeing rosettes for a long time now all over the place and after seeing a sweet tutorial on Pinterest, I thought I'd give them a try. I made hounds tooth and crimson rosettes so I could wear them to an Alabama football game, but the possibilities are really endless with them. Use any color, pattern or fabric you want. I'm kind of bummed I didn't take step by step pics to show. Sorry. Once you get going, they are pretty easy. Mine are no where near perfect. You can see hot glue on the crimson one, but that's okay. Hopefully I'll get better the more I make. I will try to explain how to do it, but there are lots of tutorials out there. I am looking forward to making more of them!!

1. Cut a piece of fabric. Just depends on the size you want the rosette to be. For the larger ones, I did about a 5 inch long by 2 inch wide strip. For smaller ones, use less length.
2. Fold the fabric in half horizontally. You can iron it at this point so it stays down better.* Have your glue gun all fired up.
3. Start to roll your strip of fabric to make a center for the rosette.
4. Once you have a center, turn or twist the fabric as you go around the center and hot glue every so often so your fabric will stay together.
5. Once at the end of your fabric, just tuck it in the back of the rosette and hot glue.
6. Cut a small circle out of felt and hot glue to the back of the rosette.
7. Hot glue the pin or alligator clip to the felt. Let dry.
8. You can use beads, rhinestones, etc. for the center. Just hot glue to center of your rosette.
Not a great step by step, but hope it helps.

Baby Subway Art

2011-10-20T13:46:00.001-05:00

I've been having fun making different subway art recently and thought I would try something baby themed. A friend of mine had her fourth child back in the summer and I thought this might be cute and personal for the baby's room. I'm happy with the way it turned out. Hopefully it will go well in baby's room. Makes me want to try a baby girl themed one now!

A Germ Free Halloween

2011-10-13T09:25:00.003-05:00

Recently I sent my daughter to school with this sanitizer all prettied up for Halloween. I thought it would be a cute and useful little gift for her teacher to use in their class. I know school kids go through a lot of this stuff!

I used a bottle of Purell hand sanitizer that I pulled the front and back labels off of. It came off clean. If it hadn't, I would have used my Goo Gone to get off all the sticky stuff so I could have a clean surface. Then I just stuck on Halloween stickers I got at Hobby Lobby(you can't see some of them well, but they say GHOST,PUMPKIN,CANDY,SPOOK,SCARY,and BOO) and tied some coordinating ribbon. Simple, yet cute! Hope you have a germ free Halloween. Germs are scary!!

Peanut Butter Bars

2011-09-19T09:03:00.004-05:00

How about some peanut butter bars for your Monday?!! You won't be disappointed with the peanut butter chocolatey goodness! Two of my favorites in one yummy dessert. Oh, they are so good!

I got this recipe from a friend years ago and every time I make it I'm reminded of how good these are. I think the best way to eat one is while it is still hot. So, when they have cooled down(if they last that long) just warm it up in the microwave for a bit to melt that chocolatey goodness! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Bars
1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 c. peanut butter
1 (12 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix cake mix, eggs, butter and peanut butter well. Spread half of mixture in an ungreased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips then drizzle with condensed milk. Pinch off the remaining peanut butter mixture and place on top of chips and milk. Bake an additional 25-30 minutes.

Taco Dip

2011-09-15T10:14:00.005-05:00

Ahhh, college football is here again! Woo!Hoo! I love watching the Crimson Tide on Saturdays, but not matter what team you pull for, you need some good food. This dip is one of my favorites! Great for watching the game! This dip is so, so simple, but very good! Just layer a few ingredients and you've got some yummy Taco Dip! No one will even mind if you use a Christmas platter like I did it's so good! Recipe is at the end of this post.

Taco Dip
1 can refried beans
1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 envelope taco seasoning
tortilla chips

Spread refried beans onto a pizza pan or large round platter. Combine sour cream and taco seasoning mix.(If you like it spicier, use the whole envelope. Less spicy, use 1/2 envelope of seasoning)Spread sour cream mixture over top of refried beans. Top with shredded cheese. You could also sprinkle on some chopped olives, onions, tomatoes or put these out in small bowls with the dip so everyone can top theirs with the things they like. Serve with tortilla chips. Here, I've served mine with Baked Scoops.

Homemade Butter Cream Icing

2011-09-12T08:56:00.004-05:00

Today I thought I'd share the recipe I use for butter cream icing. I've made two, 3-layer cakes in the past couple weeks and used this recipe for the icing. I've had the recipe for years and it's the one I always go to when I want to use homemade icing instead of canned. Of course, the consistency can be changed for making roses, borders, writing,etc. For 3 layer cakes, I double the recipe and usually have just a bit left over (which my son usually sneaks in and tries to eat when he "thinks" I'm not looking). It's delicious. Give it a try for your next cake!

Butter Cream Icing
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened (not margarine)
1/2 c. shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1 lb. powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. milk (might use more or less, depending on consistency your going for)

In mixer, blend together butter, shortening, vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar about 1/2 c. at a time. Add milk 1 Tbsp. at a time, mixing well after each addition. I check my consistency with a spoon after 2 Tbsp. milk to see if I need more milk. If you're just icing a cake and making a border, you'll want a medium consistency that's not too stiff and not too runny. For icing the cake, I use an offset spatula as well.

Build-A-Bear Birthday

2011-09-09T09:22:00.003-05:00

Ivy got to go to Build-A-Bear Workshop for her birthday this year. She loved the bear her sister made there, so we knew she would like this little b'day trip! Their were so many animals to choose from, but she settled on this purple one with hearts and peace signs. She helped stuff her bear, give it a bath and pick out clothes for it. Ivy named her cute bear Lily and Lily hasn't left her side since we left the store. She loves that bear!

Bears, bears and more bears......well, there were dogs and a monkey, too!

Giving her bear a bath!

Waiting on her bear to be stuffed!

And finally making a birthday wish!

Happy Birthday!!

2011-09-07T08:52:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to Ivy!!! Our little miss priss is 4!!! She's been waiting a long time to celebrate her birthday and it's finally here! She's so excited!

We had her party with family and a couple friends on Monday! She had fun opening her gifts and eating strawberry cake and Neopolitan ice cream. Just what she requested! Happy Birthday to my "sugar and spice and everything nice" little girl! I'm so thankful I get to be her mommy!

The Classic Rice Krispy Treat

2011-08-30T08:55:00.003-05:00

We LOVE Rice Krispy treats at our house! When their is a pan of these made, you better grab one while you can 'cause they're not gonna last long! I did manage to make them last a couple days so the kids could take a couple for school snack. In my opinion, the homemade Krispy treats are much better than the store bought ones. The packaged ones taste SO much sweeter to me and just not as fresh. Maybe that's just me. Don't get me wrong, my kids would eat packaged or homemade. They don't care. They just love this classic snack, as do I! Get the step by step recipe below.

1. You will need 3 Tbsp. margarine or butter(I like butter), 1 (10 1/2 oz.) pkg. mini marshmallows and 6 cups of Rice Krispy's cereal.(whichever brand you want)

2. Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows; stir until melted and mixture is smooth.

3. Remove pan from heat. Add the cereal; mix until well coated.

4. Press mixture firmly into a 13x9 pan that has been lightly greased with butter.(I find it helps to rub a little of the butter on my clean hands when I press these down so my hands don't stick)Cool completely; cut into squares.

Our Trip To The Fire Station

2011-08-26T09:05:00.005-05:00

Earlier this week, Ivy and I got to visit our local fire station with some friends of ours. I was anxious to see how she would react to seeing these big fire trucks in person! She was a little reluctant at first, but warmed up to it.However, she was not having any part of putting on the boots and the big helmet, but a couple of the boys decided they would try it. The kids also got to get inside of the ladder truck and look around. We also saw all the ins and outs of the pumper truck. The firemen were nice enough to pull the ladder truck out of the garage and put the big ole ladder up. That thing was up there. I think one of the firemen said it would let out to 10 stories high! We got an extra treat as one of the firemen climbed the ladder to the top! OH,that made me so nervous! I didn't even know the man, but I was so nervous for him I could barely watch! He made it just fine.
The kids also got a coloring book, sticker and a fireman hat to take home. It was a fun trip!

Ivy sitting in the ladder truck!

Hot Car Crayons

2011-08-24T08:24:00.005-05:00

Recently my daughter and I tried a project that I pinned a while back called Hot Car Crayons. She had a good time helping make these and she LOVES coloring with her new heart crayons!
A cute and fun project! See the step by step instructions below.

1.First, make sure it's a nice, hot day out. (Which we have plenty of here in AL!) Have a silicone muffin or ice cube mold set out for your crayons. Get out your crayons and peel off the wrappers. (I read that Crayola crayons worked best for this so that is what we used. We do have an abundance of crayons!)

2. Break the crayons into small pieces that will fit into the molds. You can put the same color in each mold or mix up the colors, which is what I did.

3. Take your crayon filled mold out to your car and set it on the dash board. I put a paper towel underneath in case it melted over the sides. I left mine out for a couple hours, but it may not take that long. Just check it.

4. When the crayons have all melted, bring them inside to set up and get hard. You can just leave them out on the counter to do this or speed up the process by putting the mold in the freezer for a little while.

5. Pop the crayons out of the mold and start coloring! Both of my girls really like to color with the heart crayons! I'm on the lookout for other fun shapes we can make!

Easy Soft Pretzels

2011-08-23T08:29:00.003-05:00

For an after school snack last week, I tried these Easy Soft Pretzels and they are delicious! They do take a little time to prepare, but nowhere near as long as homemade soft pretzels(those are sooo good, but this is a simple alternative.) Our whole family loved the pretzels and asked to have them again real soon!! I'll have to make sure I have Pillsbury breadsticks on hand because that's really all you need to make these........and an egg white. The egg white brushed on top before they bake really gives them that shiny crust on top! We made a traditional salted pretzel and also cinnamon sugar.The step by step recipe is below.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take one can of Pillsbury bread sticks and separate dough into twelve pieces. Roll one piece of dough into a 22 inch long rope. (Yes. I did actually get out the tape measure for the first one, but after that I just eyeballed it.)

2. Twist each rope of dough into a pretzel shape. Place dough on a baking stone or a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Beat one egg white and brush on tops of pretzel dough. Bake for about 12-18 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter and brush butter over pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, dip into cinnamon sugar, or make whatever variety of pretzel you like. Yield: 12 pretzels

Happy Birthday!!!

2011-08-22T08:47:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, we celebrated our son's 12th birthday!!! --Wow! Still can't believe he is 12 yrs. old! That means he will be a teenager next year!-- He celebrated at home with family and some of his friends from church and school. They all had a fun time playing Kinect Sports and Kinect Adventures, visiting, and eating grilled hotdogs,chips, cake and ice cream!

This year I made Trent a three layer Funfetti cake with homemade buttercream icing! He really liked it and we are still enjoying the leftovers! It was a great day for Trent! Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate!

Blowing out 12 candles!

Opening his presents!

Second Day of School 2011

2011-08-16T08:45:00.003-05:00

I've taken a little break from blog land, but today I'm back with the kids.....umm....second day of school picture. In all the excitement of the first day of school, I forgot to take their picture yesterday. That's okay! The "newness" of the new school year hasn't worn off just yet!

Both of them reported great first days back! Laci enjoyed her new teacher in 3rd grade and Trent had a good day in 7th grade with all six of his classes! I'm looking forward to a productive school year in 2011-2012!

This is the "new shoe shot." Laci REALLY wanted me to take this. I guess so she could show off her new Nikes for school and her brother could flash his new Jordans. I sure hope these last the whole school year!

Vacation....... I Need Another One.

2011-07-22T09:34:00.003-05:00

Back in June, our family spent a week in Panama City Beach, Florida and we had a lot of fun! We shopped, swam, boogie boarded(well, the kids did. Not me.), played at the arcade, ate and ate some more! Now, I feel the need for another vacation..........just for me. Maybe that sounds bad, but sometimes you just gotta get away by yourself. Luckily for me I get to do that next week with my mom, sister and grandmother. The mountains are calling my name. In the meantime, her are a few pics from the beach!

Trent and Laci boogie boarding.

Laci, Trent and their Uncle doing a little dance in the condo.

Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies

2011-07-21T09:36:00.003-05:00

Can you believe it? I am actually posting today! These summer days are keeping me busy so I haven't blogged much lately. However, yesterday I made these Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies and wanted to share them with you. I don't know what's up with the pictures, though. The color just looks off. I did take them with the camera on my phone so maybe that's the problem.

This is a recipe I got a couple years ago from My Kitchen Cafe blog,which is now Mel's Kitchen Cafe, but haven't ever gotten around to sharing it on here. These little cookies taste like a magic cookie bar to me. Those are the bars with a layer of graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, nuts and coconut. Then you pour sweetened condensed milk over them and bake! These babies have all of that just in cookie form! Recipe is at end of post.

Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies
From: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs (about 25-30 squares)
1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
1 1/3 c. coconut
2 c. (1 pkg.) chocolate chips
1 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk and butter until smooth. Add graham cracker crumb mixture;mix well. Stir in coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Mouth Watering Strawberry Pie

2011-07-07T09:01:00.006-05:00

I made this Mouth Watering Strawberry Pie, Monday for our Independence Day dessert. I thought it was fitting with the red and white. My daughter told me that we should have sprinkled some blueberries on it to add the blue. Good idea, but we didn't have any blueberries.

This is a dessert that I got with my electric bill. Every month with our bills, the power company includes a recipe. Hmmmm, is that to lessen the sting of it a little? I have to say that I do actually look forward to opening my electric bill........just to see what the recipe is! This is one I saved because it sounded so good! I do think the name of this dessert is a little misleading because this is not a typical strawberry pie. It's more of a cream cheese, strawberry dessert. The dessert as a whole is very tasty, but my favorite part is the crust! Pecans and brown sugar ! Very tasty! Get the recipe below!

Check out Miz Helen's Country Cottage and This Chick Cooks, where I'm sharing this yummy recipe today!

Mouth Watering Strawberry Pie
CRUST:
1 c. self-rising flour(I used all-purpose)
1 stick butter, melted
1 c. pecans, finely chopped
1/2 c. brown sugar
Mix all ingredients and spread in a 9X13 dish. Bake for 15 minutes at 300. Cool completely.

FILLING:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. whipped topping
1 c. sugar
Mix with electric mixer until smooth. Pour and spread on top of crust.

TOPPING:
1 container strawberry glaze
1 lb. fresh strawberries, cut into bite size pieces
Mix strawberries and glaze and spread over filling.

Patriotic Cookie Pops (a little late)

2011-07-05T09:52:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day!! By the way, I tried to get this post up at least three times yesterday with no success. Our internet was in and out all day. Anyways, we had a laid back day of fun at home, grilling burgers and watching our town's fireworks show last night.A fun day to remember our great country, the freedoms we enjoy and those who defend it!

Even though it's a little late to make these cookies for your July 4th celebration, I thought I would post them anyway. You can adapt them for any occasion and they are super easy to make! They would also make a really cute cookie bouquet.

HERE'S HOW I MADE THEM:
I simply used a sugar cookie mix that I had in my pantry(homemade is even better). I mixed that up, rolled the dough into walnut sized balls, then rolled the dough into red, white and blue sprinkles. Place the dough onto your baking sheet and stick a lollipop stick into the dough. Bake according to pkg. directions or your recipe. Cuteness!

2011-06-23T09:54:00.003-05:00

I thought I had a good tip to share with you today...........but my good tip went bad!! I saw it in a magazine and was eager to try it out with my daughter.The tip: use a cupcake liner to catch the drips from popsicles. Just make a small slit for the stick and slide the liner up the stick. Simple enough. I made a tiny slit just big enough for the stick, good to go! As Ivy is eating her popsicle, she says "Mom. Look!" The popsicle had started melting and running through the little slit in the cupcake liner all down her arm.....Fail.I guess if you eat your popsicle really quick you won't have a problem, but this girl takes a while! I was really hopeful for this little tip, but it was not to be. I guess I'll stick to that little plastic thing you put the popsicle stick in. I don't remember what it's called, but it's better than the cupcake liner!

Cool Off With a Purple Cow

2011-06-22T10:05:00.004-05:00

Cool off with a WHAT?? ----A Purple Cow! What's that you ask? It's simply a tasty float made with vanilla ice cream and grape soda, like Grapico! Umm...... Yum! Really good for these hot summer days. We've been making it into the upper 90's here in AL, so we need some cool treats!
The kids gave purple cows a thumbs up! Good to the last drop!

Banana Pudding---The Real Thing

2011-06-21T08:45:00.011-05:00

I wanted to make my husband a dessert that he really likes for Father's Day and I know he is a big fan of coconut, but I do those desserts frequently,so I didn't want to do that. While I was going through my recipe files it hit me. Banana Pudding! He loves it, but I have only made it for him like one other time, long ago. I think I was content just to eat it at my grandmother's house because she makes it so good anyways and I was probably a little intimidated about making my own pudding, too. I mean it's a classic, so you gotta get it right!

Although, it's not my favorite like it is his, I do like it a lot. I guess you could even call us banana pudding snobs. Both of us will only eat it if it is homemade-like from scratch. By homemade I mean you make your own pudding and meringue. No banana flavored Jell-O pudding with bananas, wafers and Cool Whip on top. No offense to those who make it like that, but it's just so much better the real way! I guess when you've eaten it from scratch your whole life that's what you expect a banana pudding to be. I remember my grandmother letting me layer the vanilla wafers when I was young and her stirring the pudding in the top of the double boiler. Good memories. I also remember the first time I ate "the other kind" of banana pudding. I was probably about 18 years old having dinner at a friends house and we had banana pudding for dessert. One bite went in my mouth and I still remember thinking,"this is not banana pudding." I was polite and choked it down anyway.

I've rambled on and on about banana pudding, but at least you know how I feel about it now! Ha! Ha! Mine turned out pretty good if I do say so. Maybe not as good as my grandmother's, but still good! Will loved it and asked when I could make it again. He so kindly shared with the rest of us and we tore into that pudding like a pack of wolves. I didn't even get a picture of it on the plate! This recipe comes from one I already had and from calling my nanny and asking if it was right.She told me what I needed to increase or decrease and tips on making the pudding. You can get the recipe at the end of this post! I'm also sharing it at Mandy's Recipe Box for Totally Tasty Tuesdays!

I put vanilla wafers(I used mini ones because that's what I already had) along the side just like my nanny does. I think it looks pretty that way, too!

Banana Pudding

1 c. sugar

1/3 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

3 eggs, separated

2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 box vanilla wafers(I used mini ones because that's what I had)

3 to 5 bananas, sliced (Depending on how much banana you like.I used 3)

3 Tbsp. sugar

Mix 1 c.sugar, flour and salt together in top of double boiler. Blend in the 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook mixture uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly with a wire wisk for 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened.Do not let it scorch.* Do not let your water in the double boiler boil dry* Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Spread a small amount of pudding on bottom of 1 ½ or a 2 quart casserole dish; cover with a layer of wafers and layer of sliced bananas;to your taste. Pour about 1/3 of pudding over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and pudding to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with pudding. Beat egg whites until they get frothy and add the 3 Tbsp. sugar. Whip until SOFT peaks form. Spread over pudding and broil until lightly browned. *I like to let the pudding cool and put it in the fridge to get cold before it is served.

Father's Day Gifts 2011

2011-06-20T10:44:00.003-05:00

After being on vacation at the beach for a week, I'm trying to get back to "real" life and get some blogging in. So, I thought I would share what the kids gave their dad yesterday for Father's Day.
We picked out some hot n' spicy snack mix, imported pineapple soda and habenero hot sauce. All from World Market. I found these retro labels at Martha Stewart.com and adhered them to the containers to make them super cute for Daddy-O! He really liked what the kids picked out and he thought the labels were cute, too! Laci also made a pretty homemade card with some pretty artwork that all the kids signed. Oh, almost forgot! He also got some Dad subway art that I framed so he could put up in his office. I found it in blog land, but don't remember where.
Lastly, from me, he got money to contribute toward his Kindle fund, which is exactly what he wanted, and one of his favorite desserts, homemade banana pudding. Come back tomorrow for the recipe.
I'm so thankful to have such a great daddy myself and a great daddy for our kids. He is the Daddy-O, World's Greatest Dad, and No. 1 Dad! We love you!

Dad Subway Art

Coconut Custard Pie

2011-06-09T09:44:00.002-05:00

Today I have a Coconut Custard Pie to share with you and it's a good one! I first tried this pie at my grandmother's house and then made sure to get the recipe from her. This pie was something a little different for me. A different that was good! I've had coconut cream pies and coconut pies with meringue, which I call "calf slobber"( That's what my Pop always called it), but not a coconut custard. It is creamy, full of coconut and delicious! Add it to your pie list!

However, my pie might have had a bit too much nutmeg. When I was making it, something that has never happened in all my time baking or cooking happened. The mixer was going and I was measuring out the nutmeg and dropped the ENTIRE container in the mixer while it was on! What?! The mixer flung my little nutmeg bottle out and it went everywhere. Everywhere! Did I mention it was everywhere! It kinda caught me off guard! Such a mess to clean up! Needless to say, my pie miiiight have had a tad bit more nutmeg than was called for, but it still tasted great! It was all quite comical if I do say so!

Check out Miz Helen's Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday where I'm linking up this recipe, which is at the end of this post!

Coconut Custard Pie

1 unbaked pie crust

1 c. flaked coconut

3 eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 ¼ c. hot water

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425. Toast 1/2 c. coconut; set aside. Bake pie crust 8 minutes at 425 degrees; cool slightly. In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Add condensed milk, water, vanilla, salt and nutmeg; mix well. Stir in remaining ½ c. coconut. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Bake 10 minutes at 425. Reduce temperature to 350.Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool. Chill if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Muffins

2011-06-08T09:40:00.004-05:00

I hosted a brunch at my house yesterday for a few friends and I. It's always nice to visit with good friends while enjoying good food. We enjoyed fresh fruit, sausage quiche(find the recipe here) and these scrumptious cream cheese muffins. I discovered this recipe at Your Homebased Mom blog and knew I had to make them seeing as I LOVE most things that involve cream cheese.

The muffins turned out so yummy! They bake up really big and light. So good! I think Leigh Anne from YHM mentions that you must use cupcake liners. I followed directions and used them. Glad I did! The yumminess that is the topping will stick to the pan and you can't get them out very well if you don't use the liners. We wouldn't want that to happen. My friends enjoyed these light muffins with a cream cheese center, as did me and the kids. Definitely on my keeper list! Recipe at end of post.

Cream Cheese Muffins
via YHM blog,originally from Bake or Break

3 c. flour
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 large eggs
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners. Mix together the flour, 1 c. of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl stir together milk, oil, and eggs. Combine with the dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened. Combine cream cheese and 1 c. sugar. Gently mix half of this mixture into the muffin batter. Fill muffin tins about 1/2 to 2/3 full with batter. Spoon the remaining cream cheese mixture onto the muffins, with the back of a spoon push the mixture into each muffin.

Topping
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened

Combine ingredients. Sprinkle generously over muffins. Bake 24 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

4th of July Subway Art --Printable

2011-06-06T21:50:00.006-05:00

It's less than a month until the 4th of July so I've started to get out some of my things and make our mantel a little more patriotic. My family loves the 4th! A great time to remember how blessed we are to have our freedoms,that we live in this great country, to teach our children about how we got our independence,and to show them how to be patriotic! Not to mention the parades, bbq's, watermelon and fireworks that go with it! I'm just sayin'!

I thought my mantel could use a little something different this year so I made a piece of 4th of July subway art! I was happy with it! I think it turned out pretty cute! It goes well beside my apothecary jars all decked out for the 4th!

You can print out your own, too! A printable copy is at the end of this post!Just click on the link
"4th of July Subway Art." Enjoy!

4th of July Subway Art

Cheesecake For a Crowd

2011-06-02T09:38:00.003-05:00

I have a great recipe to share with you today. It's Cheesecake For a Crowd! It. Is. Yum!
Now, it's not the traditional cheesecake you make in a spring form pan with 4 hunks of cream cheese, so don't let the name fool ya. It's a white cake with a cream cheese mixture on top, but still oh- so- good!

Like the name says, it does feed a crowd. You can get about 24 to 30 servings. I love having recipes like this that feed a lot op people in my file and have acquired quite a few of them now. This is great for pot lucks or parties. That's how I discovered this recipe. I first tasted it when a friend brought it to a bridal shower I was attending. I proceeded to find out who brought it and ask for the recipe.She was happy to share it with me! So, last week I took it to a potluck we had after church and every last bit of it was eaten! Happy Baking! --Recipe is at the end of this post.

I'm also sharing this recipe today for Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

The recipe makes 2- 9x13 cake pans! Cakes before the yummy ,topping goodness!

Cakes with the yummy, cream cheese topping goodness!

And the cake below with cherry pie filling, but use any kind you like;blueberry, strawberry, raspberry,etc.!

Cheesecake for a Crowd

1 pkg. white cake mix

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened at room temperature

4 c. powdered sugar

1 pint whipping cream, whipped

2 16-oz. cans cherry, raspberry, strawberry or blueberry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9x13 baking pans.Prepare cake according to package directions, and pour half of cake batter in each pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake tests done. Remove from oven and cool completely. Whip cream cheese and powdered sugar together until fluffy. Add whipped cream. Spread mixture onto both cakes. Spread pie filling on top of cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 24 to 30 servings.

One Smart Cookie

2011-06-01T09:09:00.004-05:00

This year we have two girls that we go to church with that are graduating from high school and both of them are "smart cookies!" I had seen some ideas for "one smart cookie" themed graduation parties done with cookie buffets(which I'll file away for my future graduates), so I decided to do a gift version of that. I think it turned out darling!

We still gave the traditional card & money, but added a can full of cookies! I had two clear paint cans, which I found at Michael's, left over from my daughter's b'day party and they were just waiting for something fun like this. It came together very easy: I cut a 12-inch long by 1-inch wide piece of scrapbook paper and wrapped it around the center of the can, attached with sticky strip. The strip didn't go all the way around, so that is where I stuck my center "smart cookie" label. I made the label on my computer, printed it out and then punched out the center part with my circle cutter and then mounted it on a coordinating piece of card stock I punched out with my scalloped cutter. It also has the same type of label on the top of the paint can that says, "Way to go!"(which I, of course, forgot to get a pic of. I do that a lot lately) Then I filled it with my family's favorite chocolate chip cookies! It's just the Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. We love those and have been using that recipe for years. I've tried many CCC recipes, but can't find one I like better. You can find it here! I'm happy to say these were a hit with the two graduates!

Teacher Gifts 2011

2011-05-31T09:18:00.010-05:00

This past Thursday was my kids' last day of school and I sent them off with little tokens of our appreciation for their great teachers. Seriously,we were really pushing it to the last day to get these to them. I guess because I could never really settle on something I really wanted to give them that was useful and cost effective. We're talkin' four teachers! I had some cute ideas, but I wanted to give something they would really use. So, hopefully they will use the acrylic tumblers I personalized using my Cricut.

I used pink vinyl and the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge......again! I use that cartridge for so many things because I love the simplicity of it. I personalized the tumblers, which came from Wal-Mart, and then added black and pink polka dots. No, I'm not trying to spell a weird word called HARB. This is just my picture of all the tumblers together. Trent has three teachers and Laci has one. When you put them together you get this!

I put some Hershey's Hugs in a cello bag and tied them with a cute polka dot ribbon and put each bag down into the tumbler. The gift bags had cute tags that say, Thanks for teaching! --"Hugs" Trent & Laci. Trent said his teachers said,"ooooh" and "awwwww, it's so ca-ute, Trent." That's my son. Always giving the animated version. Both kids said their teachers gave them big hugs and big thank you's. : )

Laci's Baptism

2011-05-26T08:19:00.004-05:00

I know these last few posts have been all about our little Laci, but she's had a lot going on lately. Sunday was a special day for her! She was baptized! It had actually been scheduled for the week before, but she got strep and we had to reschedule it. Everything worked out fine......but their was a little mishap with the water handle for the baptismal font. It broke off! The water kept running and running until our Bishop fixed it with a pair of scissors. Maybe she will remember that and tell her kids of the excitement on her baptism day! Once it was fixed, she was baptized by her dad and confirmed. We are thankful to all those who attended. For some, it was a bit of a drive and we appreciate you coming.

We are so proud of her decision to be baptized and follow the Savior's example, and thankful for the example that she is. She is striving to choose the right! We know that Heavenly Father has a special plan just for her.

She received a little packet of goodies from the primary which included a journal. When she got home she started writing down everything about her baptism, from the water handle mishap to the special song,"Walk Tall You're A Daughter Of God" that was sang for her, to the refreshments we had. She was so happy to be baptized and she'll have her account of it to always remember! Laci was also excited to get her very own brand new set of scriptures!
We love you sweet girl!

This is a picture I embellished with vinyl using my Cricut. It was on our refreshment table along with three vases of pretty daisies, but I never got a picture of it. Thought I would re-create it, somewhat, and share it with you. It was pretty on our yellow and white themed table.

A Time To Dance

2011-05-24T09:52:00.004-05:00

Saturday evening we attended Laci's first ever dance recital. It was a great program titled "A Time to Dance." Laci danced her little heart out! Really, she knew her routines well! She did such a good job and I have to say she looked so cute in her dance outfit! Her class performed three dances; two tap and one ballet. All of the Leap of Faith dance students did a great job and it was really fun to watch. Toward the middle of the year for dance, she wasn't sure that she really like it,but she knew that she had to stick it out the rest of the year because she couldn't quit. She was glad she did because she ended up loving it! Laci received a dance medal for her efforts in dance and three bouquets of flowers from us, her nana and grandad, and her aunt and uncle! She was so happy!

Honors Day 2011

2011-05-19T08:21:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday I attended Trent's sixth grade Honors Day. He received an award for A-B honor roll, which he has had the entire year, and the Accelerated Reader award for most points in the sixth grade . He is so proud of that award. He has gotten it every year since the fourth grade. This year he ended up with 301 points and 91% correct on the tests! We are so proud of him for working hard and being a good student! It was a great year!We are so thankful that he had good and caring teachers! Now it's on to seventh grade!

Trent with his buddies, who also received awards.

Strawberries & Cream Pie

2011-05-17T09:04:00.004-05:00

Today I'm sharing a recipe for Strawberries & Cream Pie that is simply delicious! This recipe has been in my file for a while now to try.......and I finally tried it. It's a keeper! I love the creaminess of it with the fresh strawberries. Oh---and the graham cracker crust. Always a favorite of mine with cream pies! The recipe says to brush melted strawberry jam over the fresh strawberries, but I didn't do that. I wanted to have that fresh strawberry flavor, so I left them "naked." Also, just a note about the chocolate in the bottom of the crust. Next time I make this, and their will be a next time, I will omit the chocolate. It was a bit too hard to cut through the chocolate when I was eating it, so I'm just gonna leave it out. By all means, leave it in if you've gotta have your chocolate, but I think it will taste great without it, too! Recipe is at the end of this post!

Check out Mandy's Recipe Box for Totally Tasty Tuesdays, where I'm sharing this yummy dessert today!

Strawberries & Cream Pie

From: Taste of Home

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips, divided

3 tsp. shortening, divided

1 graham cracker crust

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

½ c. sugar

½ c. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 c. fresh strawberries, halved

½ c. seedless strawberry jam

In a microwave, melt ¾ c. chocolate chips and 2 tsp. shortening; stir until smooth. Brush over crust. Refrigerate until firm. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Arrange strawberries over pie. In a microwave, heat jam until melted; brush over the top. Melt remaining chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over pie. Refrigerate until chilled.

Paint and Party-Part 2

2011-05-12T08:46:00.000-05:00

A couple days ago I shared the painting, now it's time for the partying! I kept everything pretty simple. The table was lined with Laci's favorite color, turquoise! I used cute napkins I found at Target that looked like brush strokes from a paint brush to go with the lime green plates. Great for an art party!

The food was simple, but yummy. We had french vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting, foods that we could dip(like dipping paintbrushes)fresh fruit and fruit dip, mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce, ice cream, and paint water to drink(blue Hawaiian Punch).

The kids took home goodie bags with their own sketchbook and pencil, bubbles, and some candy.
They got to have some candies from our paint cans, too! These are so cute. I found them at Michael's and filled them with Jolly Ranchers and Skittles! Party on!

Paint and Party

2011-05-10T08:37:00.003-05:00

On Saturday Laci celebrated her 8th birthday with an art party! All of her guests got to paint their own version of a picture my husband came up with based on things Laci wanted in it; a heart, peace sign, and a flower. We gave out watercolor sets with all the details on the back to invite her friends to her party!

The girls are ready to paint on their canvases. The backgrounds were already painted to save on time.

My husband cut out stencils of the heart, peace sign and flower. We just had the girls arrange them on the canvas however they liked them and then used a piece of chalk to trace around the stencils. Ready to paint!

They did have to put a couple coats on their images to cover up the background, but I think it turned out great! All the girls enjoyed painting and putting their own touches on their masterpieces. Thanks to my husband for taking care of this aspect of the party. They loved it!

The little artists with their creations. They all did a good job and made their paintings unique. Check out Ivy's on the end. I can't help but laugh. She put so much purple paint on that canvas, but she sure had fun with it ..........for a little while. Then she was onto other things. Come back tomorrow for party time!

Spring Piano Recital

2011-05-09T08:46:00.007-05:00

Friday night our family got to enjoy Laci's spring piano recital. Laci played two duets with her teacher, Mrs. Little, which were Jesus Loves Me and Do Lord. Later in the program, she played Halloween Witch and Kartwheels. She did a great job on her pieces, as well as the other students. We enjoyed listening to all of them play.

Laci received certificates for Festival, Guild and a studio certificate. She got the bronze pin for Guild because she memorized and played two pieces. She received an excellent for her Festival pieces and superior for her theory. Sometimes she gets tired of practicing, but I can tell she does enjoy playing. I hope she will continue on her piano journey. She really does have a talent for music that we will continue to encourage. Great job Laci!

Playing a duet with Mrs. Little.

The students receiving their certificates.(My son,in the orange shirt, is helping to hand out the awards.)

Laci-A Look Back!

2011-05-06T08:48:00.003-05:00

May 5, 2003

Our little Laci turned 8 yrs. old yesterday! Wow! It really does go by so fast. I still think she should be five. I don't know why five. I just still seem to think of her as that age sometimes, but she is getting older. I'm so happy to have been entrusted with this sweet little girl. I'm thankful to be her mom. My husband and I are thankful to be her parents. Here's a look back at Laci!

1st Birthday! Eating the smash cake!

1st Birthday!

Easter 2005

First day of Joy School 2005? 2006?

2007

2008

2011

Happy Birthday!!

2011-05-06T08:36:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was our little Laci bug's 8th birthday! Woo!Hoo! She said last night that she had a fun birthday and can't wait for her art party on Saturday! There she is in the birthday chair waiting for breakfast.

After school I was all set to take her to get a birthday manicure, which has been a tradition of ours for the past few years, but she asked very nicely if instead she could go to Build A Bear Workshop. So I told her I would take her and spend the same amount on a bear that I would have spent on her manicure. She was so happy! She picked out a cute, colorful bear that cuddled up with her last night at bed time.

We then headed to Sonic for a b'day treat! Of all the things there, she just wanted an orange slush. Orange slush it is! Happy b'day my sweet 8 yr. old girl! Now it's onto the party Saturday and her baptism next week!

Stuffing her bear!

Washing her bear!

Laci with her bear which she named Torrie!

My Home's In Alabama

2011-05-02T09:19:00.002-05:00

To quote a great country song by one of the best groups(Alabama), My Home’s In Alabama. Yes! It sure is!

I just couldn’t blog today, without thinking about my beloved Alabama. As many of you may know, this great state was hit with some extremely severe weather on Wednesday. Tornadoes that were massive in size and strength.

Many people may think that tornadoes are more apt to happen in the Midwest. Places like Kansas, Nebraska,Iowa, etc. and I’m sure they get their fair share. But being born and raised in Alabama, I know we get our fair share too! My husband still doesn’t really “get” why many times I will be glued to the t.v. or constantly checking the internet if there is severe weather. I’ve always been afraid of storms. Not as much anymore, but it’s still there. I was scared Wednesday. I was scared for those that had been hit that morning in the first wave of storms in northern AL. Places that I grew up in like Moody and Odenville. I was scared when I saw that huge tornado approaching Tuscaloosa as I was watching the weather via Ustream. My heart ached for the people in it’s path. Then to hear that same tornado was heading for the county that all my family(parents, sister, cousins, grandparents) live in , well, it sent tears flowing. I wanted them to be okay and to be safe. I had said my prayers earlier that day, but I said a few more as I saw that beast of a tornado. I am firm in my faith and know that our Heavenly Father loves us all and that he would be with us all, no matter the circumstances.

I knew my sister, her family, my mother, grandmother and other friends were in a neighbor’s basement. I felt that they would be safe. Later in the night, I found out that their were trees down near my sister’s house and down the road from them, but everyone was fine,including their houses. However, if you keep driving down the road they live on to the other end of the “valley” as we call it, many were not as fortunate. I haven’t seen it, but they tell me of the houses that are just gone;brick houses, mobile homes, 2-story houses. You name it. Their was also many who lost their lives, as well. I just watched a video of someone interviewing a man who lived in the valley, telling of how his father died trying to protect all of his kids.

I was also scared when later in the night we heard the weather man say,”Elmore county. You should be in your safe place now!”Ummm. That’s my county. Where I have many friends that I love. Needless to say We went to our hall bath,(I so want a basement in our next house) which is an interior room away from windows. The kids went with their pillows and PSP’s to wait out the storm. It ended up going north east of us into Eclectic, which is about 20 minutes from my house.The storm just totally devastated that area and killed 6 people. I didn’t know any of them personally, but my heart still just aches for their families. I tell you about these little places in AL, and there are more, that you probably won’t hear about. But it happened here too. Very close to home. Most people will only hear about the bigger places like Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Cullman, etc. Likely so. The devestation there is just awful. It’s hard to fathom that parts of a Tuscaloosa, where I was just 3 weeks ago for U of A’s spring football game, are demolished. It’s heartbreaking! While I tell you that I was scared, I know that my Heavenly Father was watching over us all. That gave me comfort. Whatever the outcome, He will give us our peace and comfort.

While I’ve shed tears of sadness, I’ve also shed tears of joy. I’ve seen my community and heard of many more come together to help wherever they can. Donating clothes and food, sorting clothes, cleaning up trees, picking up personal items from the ravaged areas, and the list goes on. That makes me happy!My son, Trent, and I went to Eclectic on Saturday to help wherever we could. As we rode on the bus out to the affected areas, my eyes just welled up with tears. Until you see the trees snapped, only a porch standing, but no house, a 100 yr old church reduced to rubble, parts of houses in trees, and tents pitched so homeowners can safely guard their belongings, it’s just not as real. I feel so very spared, thankful, blessed……I wanted my son to see that this is real.We have a home, clothes, beds, video games, computers and kids 20 minutes up the road just don’t have those comforts anymore. I think he got it. Although, we didn’t get to actually work as much as we had wanted, I was happy that he was so willing to help his neighbor and show compassion for people he didn’t even know.Laci and I also went to sort clothing on Sunday with other ladies from our church. She was so eager. She said, “Are we gonna go mom? I really want to help.” Thanks for having a giving heart Lace. I saw many kids,adults, young and old, just wanting to help their neighbor. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about.

I am a proud southerner. I love Alabama. Always have and always will. I feel for all the states affected by this storm, though. It just makes you hug your kids a little tighter and makes you take a look at your life. Or at least it did me. What can I do? Where can I go the extra mile? How can I better serve my neighbor? How can I better serve my family? I’m so thankful for the gospel in my life and for good people in the world.---Sorry for the long post, but I had to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard ; ) and tell my feelings . ……..My Home’s in Alabama. No matter where I lay my head.

Baby Girl Bucket

2011-04-26T09:13:00.005-05:00

My daughter's teacher from last school year is due any day now with her baby girl. We wanted to give her a little gift to say congrats. She is a super sweet person and I absolutely LOVED her teaching style. It was so enjoyable to visit her class as I volunteered for different activities or parties. She will also be a great mom!

For this gift, I used a pink galvanized bucket similar to the ones I used for Easter, but this one I found in the gardening section at Target and it's just a bit bigger. I cut out her name in white vinyl using my Plantin Schoolbook cartridge for the Cricut. I like to use the "tall ball" option on the cartridge for names. After I applied the name, it needed just a little more pretty, so I tied three pieces of ribbon to one side of the handle. What's inside the bucket? ---A cute baby toy with different textures and colors and a baggie with hair accessories for baby. It has a couple cute hair bows, a big, brown gerbera daisy hair clip and some headbands. I hope mom and baby enjoy the gift!

A- Day 2011

2011-04-25T09:07:00.004-05:00

Laci showin' some love for the Crimson Tide!

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! We certainly did!
Now switching gears a little bit. I wanted to share the pics from the A-Day game we went to a couple weeks ago. It's the University of Alabama's spring football game in case you're wondering what that is. It was a breezy, sunny day to watch some football and take in all the sights surrounding A-Day. Why do we go to A-Day games? See the picture below of my dad's shirt! Roll Tide!

Kyle, Lena and Laci

Rama Jama's restaurant, which is right across from the stadium. We stood in line a while, but it was worth it for that good cheeseburger and onion rings!

Lena and Laci waiting on lunch. This place was so packed. Seriously the line was out the door. If you saw someone get up from a table, you grabbed it or you may not have a place to eat!

The guy table!

Flag football game before the actual football game.

We always enjoy going to this game with my family and spending time together. It was a fun day!

Easter Basket Cupcakes

2011-04-22T10:46:00.003-05:00

Just thought I'd share one more treat with you before Easter. These little cuties are Easter Basket Cupcakes. I think big and little kids alike wouldn't mind these baskets for an Easter dessert!

To make them,I baked cupcakes using a boxed yellow cake mix(you could use your favorite). After they cooled, I frosted them with vanilla frosting I had tinted green with a few drops of food coloring. I also tinted coconut with green food coloring for the grass effect that I sprinkled on top of the frosting. I added three Cadbury mini eggs and then put in a chenille stem into each side of the cupcake for the basket "handle." Just remind kids that they can't actually hold their cupcake by the "handle" and to remove the chenille stem before they eat it!

I hope all of you have a very happy Easter!

Cottontail Cones

2011-04-19T23:25:00.006-05:00

Here's a cute and quick Easter treat idea for ya!-- Cottontail Cones! These little cones are adorable and would make a fun goodie for an Easter party or a cute addition to your dessert table.

I first saw an idea similar to this a couple years ago in Paula Deen Magazine. You know Paula! She always has cute stuff in her magazine, y'all. Well, I had to give these a try with a little twist. I filled my cones with Cadburry robin eggs! The best Easter candy ever!

To make Cottontail Cones, fill sugar cones with your favorite, small sized Easter candy and top cone with cotton candy! Enjoy and be sure to stop by Mandy's Recipe Box for Totally Tasty Tuesdays where I'm sharing this idea and for other yummy recipes!

Easter Buckets

2011-04-18T13:49:00.004-05:00

These will be the kids' Easter buckets this year. I couldn't pass them up when I saw them in Target's Dollar Spot. They are galvanized buckets that are a bit smaller than an Easter basket, but they are a little bigger than the buckets they have had many times in the Dollar Spot. Great spring colors, too! We'll be using these for Easter treats and goodies, but not for hunting eggs. They will need a little more room for that. Good thing I have the other 25 baskets and buckets from past Easters out in our storage building......... Okay, maybe not 25, but close.

I used my Cricut to cut each of the kid's names and applied them to their buckets. Quick, simple and cute! Ivy will love the pink one since she is all about pink at the moment. Laci will love the green since she is so anti-pink right now. Trent, well, I don't think he cares one way or another as long as it has some goodies in it!

Strawberry Cobbler

2011-04-14T07:10:00.007-05:00

Two words. Strawberry. Cobbler. Oh-my! It is so good! Possibly one of the best desserts I have ever put in my mouth! Seriously! The first time I tasted a strawberry cobbler was just last summer at Peach Park in Clanton, AL. Now, being the southern girl that I am, I thought I had eaten just about every kind of cobbler their was; peach cobbler, blackberry cobbler, apple cobbler, chocolate cobbler and my grandmother even makes a sweet potato cobbler. But no, I don't remember any strawberry cobbler. Trust me, I did not forget it when I had it last summer. I'm not sure why it took me so long to make one, but this is a great recipe. It is sweet, with a gooey, yummy strawberry filling and the crust. Oh the crust! It's light, yet has that little bit of crisp on the top and the sugar sprinkled over it makes this crust even better! Plus, it's a good time to make your strawberry desserts because they are in season and at a good price! So, go get you some strawberries and I'm thinking most of you have the other ingredients already in your pantry and make this! Get the recipe below!

Check out Miz Helen's Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday where I'm sharing this recipe today and Lark's Country Heart for Made It On Monday! Wait, there's one more! Visit Sweet As Sugar Cookie's, Sweets For A Saturday as well!

Strawberry Cobbler
3 c. fresh strawberries, cut into fourths(can use 3 c. frozen strawberries,thawed)
2 c. sugar
1 stick butter
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk
2 Tbsp. sugar

Combine strawberries and 1 c. sugar.(If you're using frozen strawberries,mix with only 1/2 c. sugar)Melt butter in a 9x13 dish. Mix remaining 1 c. sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and milk together. Pour into dish. DO NOT STIR. Top with the strawberry mixture. DO NOT STIR. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.Let cool for about 5 minutes and sprinkle 2 Tbsp. sugar over crust. Makes 8-10 servings.

Poor Man's Lasagna Rolls

2011-04-12T08:45:00.002-05:00

Today I have a recipe to share for Poor Man's Lasagna Rolls that I found at Little Kitchen On The Prairie. This recipe caught my eye because it looked sooo tasty and was a little more cost effective than a regular lasagna. Don't get me wrong, my family loves homemade lasagna, but it is an expensive dish. Once you by three different cheeses the cost goes up! We usually save it for special occasions. So these lasagna rolls are a good alternative. We gave them a thumbs up!

Poor Man's Lasagna Rolls
from Little Kitchen On The Prairie
adapted slightly by Missy

10 lasagna noodles
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 can or jar pasta sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg slightly beaten

Cook lasagna noodles. Drain and set aside. Brown ground beef and onion. Drain.Transfer beef to a bowl and add 1/4 c. pasta sauce,1/2 c. cheese, and egg.Mix together.

Spread each lasagna noodle with about 1/3 c. or so of the meat mixture.Carefully roll up the noodle and place seam side down in an ungreased 13x9 pan. Pour remaining sauce over top. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, for about 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Blast From The Past- My Stamped Cards

2011-04-11T08:29:00.002-05:00

Wow! What a blast from the past! I was browsing through some of our backed up pictures and came across some of the cards that I've made. Just thought I'd share a few of them today.

Their was a time that I made all of my own cards; b'day, wedding, baby. You name it! And used to be an avid stamper. I'm sure Stampin' Up loved me because I gave them lots of business! I just don't have the desire to stamp that much at the moment. I get my stamps out every now and then and do a few things here and there,usually stamping things other than cards, and maybe I'll get back into it later, but for now I'm enjoying other types of crafting a bit more.Have a good day and enjoy creating something!

Struesel Apple Pie Minis

2011-04-07T08:41:00.006-05:00

I absolutely love mini and individual desserts. They are just so cute and petite! Love em! So I came up with these adorable Struesel Apple Pie Minis. Bite size goodness..........well, maybe two bites! My family loved these!!

Get the recipe below and stop by Miz Helen's Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday, where I'm sharing this as well.

1. Roll out one refrigerated pie crust until it's about a 13-inch round circle.

2. Cut out the crusts for your pies with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.

3. Put your crusts into mini muffin tin, pushing crust up edges.

4. Fill cups with about 1 Tbsp. of apple pie filling. You could use a fresh apple filling, too.

5. Make struesel topping :

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. quick oats
1/4 c. butter, softened
Put all ingredients in small bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork until it is combined and resembles coarse crumbs.

6.Sprinkle struesel topping on top of pie filling. I didn't use a specific amount. Just enough to cover the pie filling. I did have some struesel topping left over, which would be good for muffins.

7. Bake pies at 350 for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Yield:24 mini pies

Bridal Shower Dessert Buffet- Part 2

2011-04-06T08:38:00.003-05:00

I have a few more pictures and a recipe to share with you for part 2 of our dessert buffet. See yesterday's post for part 1.

We chose to go with 2 different flavors of cupcakes. We got really wild and went with chocolate and vanilla! Ha! Ha! They turned out yummy, as well as cute! My sister purchased damasked cupcake liners from Fancy Flours.Look in their Printed Design-Baking Cups section. The package said they would retain their color and design during baking. I was a little skeptical, but they did! The liners were just as cute and vibrant as when they went into the oven!

Here are the cupcakes along with chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter balls and an empty platter for the chocolate dipped strawberries. Guess I should have waited to take this picture!

You can get the recipe for the peanut butter balls here!

I thought I'd also show the napkins I personalized for the shower. I used simple white dinner napkins and stamped an "A" and a pretty scroll design with black Staz-On ink. It's important to use Staz-On ink, which "stays on" its surface rather than a water based ink that could rub off. We wouldn't want people wiping black ink all over their mouths! Yikes!

Stop by tomorrow for Struesel Apple Pie Minis!

Bridal Shower Dessert Buffet- Part 1

2011-04-05T08:20:00.006-05:00

Today I want to share the sweet dessert buffet my sister and I put together for the bridal shower we recently hosted. We held the shower in the afternoon, so we thought desserts would be a good option. The picture above only shows a few of the treats. Remember it's only Part 1 of the dessert buffet. Come back tomorrow for Part 2! I will share the menu today and my recipe for Coconut Macaroons, which were the hit of our buffet if I do say so! We had many compliments on the treats, but these seemed to stand out! Scroll down to get the recipe!

Dessert Buffet Menu
Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting and Chocolate Curls
Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Peanut Butter Balls
Coconut Macaroons
Cream Puffs
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Brownie Bites
Lemonade
Water with Lime
Bottled Water

Coconut Macaroons
2 1/2 c. flaked coconut
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 c. sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla

In a small bowl, combine the coconut, flour and salt.Add the milk and vanilla. Mix well; the batter will be a bit stiff.Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.Remove to wire racks to cool.Yield 1 1/2 dozen.
**I like to use my small scoop, which holds about 1 1/2 tsp. to make these.

Delicious dipped strawberries were also a favorite! I love the elegance of chocolate dipped strawberries. They're just so pretty!

We embellished bottled water to go with our theme with pretty damask labels which I made from scrapbook paper. Come back tomorrow for part 2 of the dessert buffet!

I'm sharing this today for Totally Tasty Tuesdays at Mandy's Recipe Box, too!

Bridal Shower Decor

2011-04-04T08:32:00.006-05:00

Last week my sister and I hosted a bridal shower for a friend of ours. It almost became the "shower that got blown away." It was rainy, yucky and their were tornado warnings.The tornado siren actually went off in the middle of the shower,but what did we do? Ignored it and had us a shower.

For our decor we chose to go with a lime green and damask theme. We used lime green tablecloths and damask wrapping paper from Hobby Lobby as a runner. The food table was our main focal point. We would have liked to have hung lime green paper lanterns, but at our venue you could not hang anything from the ceiling. The centerpiece of the food table was the bride and groom's framed monogram that I gave some height by wrapping a box with white paper and tying a black ribbon around it. Two antique vases with carnations accented the table too.

For the framed monogram, I used my Cricut to cut out their initials and just applied them directly to the frame. The frame was matted with a piece of damask scrapbook paper and white card stock to make the monogram stand out.

I'm including our little labels for the dessert buffet as decor. I really like how they turned out. We just printed off all our menu items on white card stock, matted that with black card stock and then stamped this elegant design underneath. We used glue dots to adhere them to our serving pieces. More on that dessert buffet tomorrow! It was good stuff!

We used two small round side tables for accents that we covered with white sheets. Lime green tissue paper gave it a pop of green. We also set out some framed pictures of the bride and groom to be as well as their initial and more antique vases with carnations. Oh-I can't forget the framed saying my sister made which was kind of our theme-"Love is Sweet."

We tried to keep the cost down on the party favors by using these cute favor bags from the Dollar Tree. I've used these many times and they are great for embellishing. For these we added "A" stickers, which are actually envelope seals, from Hobby Lobby and accented them with lime green tissue paper. Since "love is sweet" we filled these with Hugs, Kisses and Lifesavers for the guests to take home. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, including the bride to be.She got SO many nice things, too! It was a sweet success!

Come back tomorrow for the dessert buffet menu and some recipes!

Delicious Bacon & Eggs............Or Is It?

2011-04-01T08:40:00.004-05:00

Don't those bacon and eggs look tasty!? ...........GOTCHA!! They look like the real thing don't they!
I thought these faux bacon and eggs would make a cute April fool's prank for the kids. I asked Trent if he would like some bacon and eggs this morning with his cereal and he said sure. He was a little surprised when I brought him this on a plate. He just looked at me with a really big smile on his face and then said,"Very funny, mom!" Laci must have heard us talking about these scrumptious bacon and eggs while she was in the other room because she asked if she could have some, not knowing what I had given Trent. When she got her bacon and eggs she just laughed and said,"what is this." They all thought this version was tasty, but a bit sweet for bacon and eggs. They are also very simple to make. Just line up 3 pretzel sticks and melt a little white chocolate or vanilla almond bark. Put a small dollop of the white chocolate on the center of the pretzels. Put this into the fridge to get set somewhat and then top with a yellow M&M. You're bacon and eggs are ready!

I wish I could say this was my original idea, but I can't take credit for it. I found this recently while blog hopping over at Our Treasured Home. Thanks for the idea! We loved it!

Key West Grilled Chicken

2011-03-31T08:30:00.005-05:00

We love to grill at our house, so when I found this recipe in one of my school cook books from many years ago, I had to make it. It's something a little different with a hint of lime, sweetness of the honey and salty from the soy sauce. This Key West Grilled Chicken paired with white rice and salsa black beans was a nice dinner that our whole family enjoyed. I look forward to making it again. That's another perk of this recipe. Just let it marinate and then put it on the grill! I like easy! Enjoy!

Key West Grilled Chicken
(adapted by Missy)
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken tenderloins thawed,not frozen(I use tenderloins)

Mix together all ingredients except chicken to make marinade. Put chicken into a casserole dish and pour marinade over chicken. Turn chicken to coat with marinade.Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 1 hr.(I prefer to marinate it all day).Can also marinate in gallon size Ziploc bag. Grill chicken on outdoor or indoor grill.

I'm sharing this recipe today for Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage. Stop by and take a look!

Star Wars Art

2011-03-30T09:32:00.003-05:00

R2-D2

Today I'm featuring some of the art work by my talented husband. He is a very good artist .........and , yes, he does draw and paint more than just Star Wars related things. I thought these particular sketches were great. Recently, he has been drawing some things for our son's room, who is still quite the Star Wars enthusiast. He already has 2 pictures framed and hanging in his room and my husband has one more to go. These are some of his practice(I know! Practice!) sketches which will be in the last picture, only smaller. I know Trent, our son, loves the pictures that he's already done and can't wait to get the third one. It looks like Trent and our daughter, Laci, both have a talent for art like their dad.(I know they didn't get their drawing skills from me!) Enjoy your day........and may the force be with you!

Darth Vader

Boba Fett

Strawberry Crumble Cake

2011-03-29T08:37:00.005-05:00

Today I have a recipe for Strawberry Crumble Cake to share with you. It comes from Paula Deen's sons' magazine, which I think is called Deen Brothers Cooking. Don't quote me, though. I'm not exactly sure if that's what it is.

Overall I thought this cake was delicious, although I can't call it my new favorite or anything.It is bursting with strawberry flavor from the strawberry preserves and I like the crumble on top a lot. I would make it again. My family seemed to like it, too which is a good sign. Just a note on the servings. The recipe says it makes 12 servings. Well, I got way more than 12. More like 24! I guess I wasn't as generous with my pieces. I cut them into smaller bar- like pieces because it is a pretty sweet cake! Happy baking!

I'm also sharing this at Mandy's Recipe Box for Totally Tasty Tuesdays! Stop by and check it out!

Strawberry Crumble Cake
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. strawberry preserves
Crumble Topping(recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar with a mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until just combined. Stir in sour cream. Spread half of the batter evenly into prepared pan. Gently spread preserves over batter. Drop remaining batter by tablespoonfuls over preserves. Sprinkle evenly with Crumble Topping. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes before cutting. Makes about 12 servings.*Read my note in my blog about servings.

Crumble Topping
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.Makes about 1 cup.

Look What I Can Do With Veggie Straws

2011-03-28T09:23:00.002-05:00

Hello all! Okay, hello to the three of you who read my blog! Ha! I have been busy the past couple weeks so the blog has been neglected. I did manage to make a few changes recently, so I hope you like them. I do!! .......Now onto this sweet(and spunky) little girl up there. A couple weeks ago Ivy was eating one of our favorites with her lunch, Veggie Straws. I was doing my thing in the living room when she came in to get me. "Mom, look what I did. Come see. Look. My name." This little cutie had used her remaining Veggie Straws to spell out her name.......well, almost. She didn't have enough left for the "Y," but she did great with the "I" and "V." I guess I hadn't expected her to know how to actually spell out her name yet. We help her write her name and show her the letters, but I didn't know she grasped it yet. She does!! So those yummy Veggie Straws aren't just for eating, you can spell with them too!

Yummy!

DVD Storage

2011-03-11T09:36:00.004-06:00

Just a quick storage tip to share with you today for DVD's. I bet you can guess what it is by the picture above. That is an old CD binder/wallet we had that was not being used by CD's, so I thought it would be great for our DVD's. We have been storing them like this for a while now, but before that two of the three drawers in our t.v. cabinet were being taken up by all of our DVDs in their cases. I wanted a different solution and this has been working out great for us. We just flip through to find the one we want. Best part, our t.v. cabinet drawers are freed up for other things rather than being overrun by DVDs. What can you do with all those DVD cases? You could make your own labels for them to use as gifts for homemade c.d.'s, as decorations for a movie party or you can do what we did and toss them in the trash! Ha! Ha! We don't have ours organized in the binder any particular way either, but you could do that as well. Have a great weekend!

Bathroom Drawers Are Messy No More

2011-03-10T09:38:00.004-06:00

I gave my bathroom drawers an "organization makeover" recently, so thought I'd share. This is only a pic of one of our drawers, but I also made over my make up drawer, too. I just didn't get pics of that one. Trust me, both are waaaaaay better than they started out.
I used little white plastic baskets in various sizes to divide up and hold my things. They were 2 baskets for $1! So my makeover was quite cheap! *Like* Sorry, no before pics either. I just started cleaning and organizing one day and didn't even think about taking a before.

For my drawers, I took everything out and wiped out the insides of them. Next,I got rid of the old. If you don't use it, toss it! You know, that lip stick you haven't used in three years or the body spray that you never really liked. Then I arranged my little baskets and put all of my similar things together. For instance, in my makeup drawer my baskets are grouped: eyes,mouth, hair, lips & face,and lotion. I also have a few miscellaneous items in there. For the drawer above, I grouped all of our batteries in a basket, miscellaneous child proof things(we replace these frequently), grouped my Scentsy melts together and stored my hair dryer and flat iron nicely. It's so much nicer seeing an organized drawer with everything in its place. Makes me smile! Happy organizing!

Fudge Revel Bars

2011-03-09T09:28:00.006-06:00

Last week I tried this new recipe for Fudge Revel Bars I found here at Mandy's Recipe Box.She's got some good stuff , so check out her blog! These bars did not disappoint! Oh my! They are delicious! Fudgy, oat goodness! Aside from being so good, I also liked the fact that this recipe makes a whole sheet pan of bars, so we had plenty to share with two of our neighbors and still more to eat as dessert after we barbequed with some friends on Saturday. I did find that I preferred to warm my cooled bar in the microwave for about 7 seconds to make them all melty and gooey again. Get the recipe by clicking on the link above.-- Go! Make them!

The Pink Boots

2011-03-04T09:07:00.004-06:00

There they are. The pink boots. Ivy's shoes of choice.

The child will not wear anything else lately. I tell her to get on her shoes and she immediately finds these or asks where they are. I'm not sure what the fascination is. Maybe it's that they are boots, could be that they used to be her sister's or maybe because they are pink. Not sure, but she LOVES them! That's fine by me. I just let her wear them. Sometimes she wears them with jeans, on Sunday after church she put them on with her dress and here she's sporting them with shorts and pig tails. She has them on when we get Laci from school and gets many compliments. It's so fun to see her innocence and her love for different things. I'll let her wear these while she can, because I know little girls get bigger and she shall soon grow out of her pink boots. Gosh that girl is a cutie!

Oatmeal Cake - One of My Favorites

2011-03-02T09:37:00.003-06:00

I have a dee-licious recipe to share with you today for Oatmeal Cake. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get this up on my blog because it is one of my favorite cakes!

I got this recipe a few years ago from a friend that I went to church with, but she has since moved. She was a great cook! When I made it and then ate a piece, I knew that I'd had this cake before. Sure enough I had. My nanny said that she used to make an oatmeal cake like this.I'm sure I ate this at her house. She is another great cook! And this is a great cake! The broiled pecan, coconut topping is so, so good! It is also very moist.

I actually have a couple recipes for this cake which are both pretty similar. One of them can be made in a sheet pan, which is great for larger crowds. For this one, I used the recipe from my friend.You can get it below.

Oatmeal Cake
1 1/4 boiling water
1 c. quick oatmeal
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Pour water over oats and butter. Microwave for 2 minutes. Add white sugar, brown sugar , eggs and vanilla. Mix remaining dry ingredients together first before adding to the oat mixture. Mix well.Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done.

Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. evaporated milk
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. shredded coconut
6 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Bring sugar, evap. milk, brown sugar, butter and vanilla to a boil and cook for one minute. Add nuts and coconut. Stir together. Spread on cake and broil in oven until it is lightly browned. Do not leave cake unattended while broiling.

A Lunch Date

2011-03-01T09:14:00.002-06:00

Last week I got to have a lunch date with the other guy in my life, my son Trent. His G.A.T.E. (gifted and talented education) class went on a field trip/ lunch to Tokyo Japanese Restaurant. They wanted to experience Japaneses food and hibachi style cooking since their course of study this year is Japan.

I think it was a fun experience for the whole class. Trent certainly had fun being with his friends and watching his food being prepared right in front of him with the fire and quirky little things the cooks did! It was a good show and good food! Trent chose steak while I chose chicken, but next time I'll go with steak. He let me taste of his and it was so, so good! I was surprised that Trent even chose the miso soup over salad and he ate it! I guess my picky boy is branching out a bit. It was fun times with my big man!

Trent's teacher, Mrs. Hurst, and some of the guys from his class. Jemarcus, Owen,Trent, Carson and Austin.

Valentine Brownie Bites

2011-02-10T10:33:00.003-06:00

How about some cute brownie bites for Valentine's Day?! Umm....yes, please!
These little bites of love were very easy to make and look darling, too. I simply made a boxed mix(you can make homemade if you'd like) and let them cool completely. Then I used my Pampered Chef 1 1/2" biscuit cutter to cut out the brownies. I melted about a Tbsp. of chocolate chips and used that as my "glue" to put on the heart icing decorations which are from Wilton. You could also top them with a conversation heart or various other V-day candies.
These would make adorable treats for a school party or just a V-day dessert! Enjoy!

Cute Candy Jar

2011-02-07T08:51:00.003-06:00

Over the weekend my husband put some of our older, backed up pictures on the computer because I was missing them. Turns out their were lots of pics of older crafts, cards and paper crafts that I had done. Score! I had forgotten all about them!

I came across this little candy jar I embellished originally as part of a Christmas gift. I think?? It also had an embellished Altoid tin with little handmade cards in it to round out the gift(I'll have to show that some other time). I thought this jar could easily work as a quick and cute Valentine gift as well. Maybe for a friend or teacher. Just use some red, pink, purple,etc. ribbon and change out the tag. Add any type of candy you like to this cute jar I found at Hobby Lobby,such as conversation hearts, heart gum drops, Dove chocolates, etc. Cute and easy!

Valentine Marshmallow Pops

2011-02-03T09:59:00.002-06:00

Yesterday my little assistant and I made some super cute valentine marshmallow pops. This treat is fast, simple and comes together with few ingredients. Ivy helped put the marshmallows on the sticks and dip them in chocolate. She loved it! She also loved sampling her sweet creation after it had time to dry.

To make marshmallow pops(for these I used the strawberry flavored marshmallows), melt almond bark in pot or double boiler, push marshmallows onto lollipop sticks, dip the marshmallows(about half way) and dust with sprinkles. Stick them into a piece of floral foam or styrofoam to dry. Yes, that's the easiest way, but I balanced mine just right in this little dish filled with chocolate chips because I didn't have any styrofoam. Let them dry and enjoy!

Ready to help!

Enjoying her marshmallow pop!

Baking Tips & Tricks

2011-02-02T09:20:00.002-06:00

Looks like it's another photo-less post today. So, sorry if you like pics, but I'm going to share some baking tips and tricks I learned at the King Arthur Flour baking demo. Refer to my previous post if you want to know more about that.

The demo guy, Frank, really knew what he was doing and he shared some things that I didn't know and that I'd like to use in my baking. I thought I'd share them! So here they are!

--When measuring flour, first, fluff it up with a fork or spoon because more than likely it has settled in the container. Then use the "sprinkle & sweep" method. That is, hold your measuring cup above your canister, scoop out flour with another scoop and sprinkle it into your measuring cup. Then use a spatula, knife,etc. to level it off. If you dip and then level you will more than likely be using more flour than your recipe calls for. Best way---use a kitchen scale!

--When your making bread, pie crusts, pastries,etc., the recipe usually says the dough needs to be a certain length. Well did you know that a standard size rolling pin barrel is 10 inches and one standard handle is 4 inches. So a standard rolling pin is about 18 inches. So no need to get out the ruler if you're using a rolling pin!

--What about doubling recipes? His rule was that if it is a tested or published recipe(KAF recipes) you can double it. However that does not include recipes that use yeast. You should make make the recipe as it says once and if you want more, just make it over again.

--Want a yummy homemade pie crust?Yeah, me too!Pat the dough out with the barrel of your rolling pin instead of rolling it.You want to pat it out(not whack it) or if you must roll it, only in one direction so you don't "confuse" the developing gluten in the dough. If you work your dough too long it will be tough. So work quickly.

These are just a few things I took notes on or remembered. Hope they help in your baking adventures!

Free Flour Fun!

2011-01-31T09:12:00.006-06:00

Saturday,Laci and I got to go to the King Arthur Flour free baking demo here in Montgomery. They made 3 stops in Alabama and Montgomery was their last one. I'm so glad a friend of mine showed me their ad in the paper. It was a fun activity for Laci and I. We came away with great baking tips, free recipes, coupons, samples and fun door prizes. I won 2 bags of K.A.F.(bread flour) and Laci won a box of their new cake flour and a box of Cranberry Orange Scone Mix. We can't wait to try that! And because they didn't want anyone to leave empty handed, everyone got a free dough scraper and a $10 gift card to use on a purchase of $20 or more for their store. Since they are located in Vermont, I guess we'll use ours online.But now I so want to go to VT to their store. We saw video of it while waiting for the demo to start and it looks awesome!

After this, I should be able to make the perfect flaky pie crust and have no problem with sweet yeast breads. We'll see! The demo guy, Frank, who works on their baker's hotline and works in their test kitchen did a great job. He was a wealth of baking info! It got me excited to come home and try out our new products. I have to say before this, I hadn't really used KAF much, but I think I will make the switch even if it is a little more expensive.

Laci and I made their Lemon-Glazed Pound Cake yesterday and it is Ah-mazing! Now, my picture isn't so pretty because it stuck to my cake pan. It was stoneware and I guess I needed to grease it better, but don't let that fool you. The cake is light, fluffy and lemony! It's really good! Find out more about KAF free demos on their website!

Laci, with our friends Christina and Neal, that went to the demo with us. They're holding the door prizes they won. Laci has her cake flour, Christina has a Red Star oven mitt and instant read thermometer and Neal won the biggie! A King Arthur Flour cookie companion cook book! I have to say I was jealous of him! I wanted that cook book! Maybe he will let me borrow it.
Come back tomorrow and I will share some baking tips I learned!

Tastes-More-Like-Kettle-Corn-Caramel-Corn

2011-01-27T08:57:00.006-06:00

Hopefully the title of this post is not too confusing. I'm sharing a recipe today that was originally named "Caramel Corn."Not sure why it is named this cause it actually tastes like kettle corn,or at least to my family it does. So I cleverly,or maybe not so cleverly, re-named it "Tastes-More-Like-Kettle-Corn-Caramel-Corn." I have no idea where I got this recipe from, but I've had it for years in my file. We make it frequently for a family night treat or movie night and it's so, so yummy. We eat every last,little crumb, except the kernels of course.

I thought my kids would especially like it in these cute paper popcorn containers I found at Hobby Lobby a while back. I think there are 10 in each package and if you get them with a 40% off coupon, even better. I'm all about a deal. These striped containers would be great for a circus themed party or your next movie night. The verdict: My kids thought they were "so cute"in Laci's words, but would have gobbled up that popcorn just the same without them.

To make:

Pop two regular size bags of microwave popcorn(I used the 94% FF stuff) and pour about 1 1/2 bags out onto a sheet pan. You can use 2 whole bags if you have a bigger pan to use.
Bring 4 Tbsp. butter, 3 Tbsp. water, 3/4 c. sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon(I only use a 1 tsp.) to a rolling boil on medium high heat.Continue to stir while boiling about 2 minutes until mixture has thickened somewhat.Drizzle mixture over popcorn.(pic below) Delicately stir popcorn with two wooden spoons to coat with the butter/cinnamon mixture. Put into a 350 oven for about 5-8 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool. Be careful if you want to taste, the butter/gooey mixture is VERY hot! Enjoy your "Tastes-More-Like-Kettle-Corn-Caramel-Corn!"

I {HEART} Zumba!

2011-01-25T08:51:00.004-06:00

Looks like this is going to be a picture less post today. I can't get any picture I try to work! But I still want to tell you about something I've grown to LOVE......Zumba!! Yep! Love. It. I've been doing it since July 2010 and am still going strong in January 2011! I started out the first 4 months going 3 nights a week, but now only do it two nights. Still gotta have time for kids, husband, church,etc.

If you haven't heard of it or done it, Zumba is a latin inspired dance-fitness program that started in 2001 and has grown majorly in popularity. One of their slogan's is"ditch the work out and join the party." That's exactly what I did. I was working out before, but got so bored with it.Seriously. I did not look forward to it at all. No worries. My friend started up her Zumba classes shortly there after and it has been great! She is a very good instructor, too. She has great routines and gets us pumped up and moving!! Now, I can't say that I've lost major pounds, but I have lost inches. (Oh yeah!)Weird how that works, but I guess fat has turned into muscle. I can also tell that my body is more toned and firm.(My jeans look a lot better on me. Hahaha!) Another perk is that I have more energy. It's awesome! I think the best part is that I haven't gotten bored with it. I like to dance, and boy do I work my booty off in those classes,so this was a great fit for me! Give it a try if you get the chance.

Cupcakes In A Jar

2011-01-24T09:07:00.005-06:00

I have been seeing cute "cupcakes in a jar" in blog land for a while now. Have you? They are stinkin' cute! I thought my grandmother's birthday, which was Saturday, would be the perfect occasion to try them out. It was part of the lemon themed gift we gave her.

For this lemon version, I made cupcakes using a boxed mix. After the cupcakes were cooled completely, I pushed one cupcake into the bottom of an 8 oz. jelly jar,piped vanilla icing on top and layered another cupcake, ending with the icing. For more cuteness and flavor, I also used some Lemon Sprinkle from The Pampered Chef I had on hand to top off the icing. It's pretty good stuff, too. It tasted great on the cupcakes and would probably be good on ice cream, but I haven't tried that yet. It's finished up with ribbon and a yellow fork. I'm still not sure about the fork. Next time, I might leave it out. It just looks so huge to me.

I can't wait to make these for other occasions using different flavors! This would make a tasty Valentine treat!!....... Okay, think I'll have to do that! Enjoy!

Pineapple Cream Cheese Ball

2011-01-19T08:43:00.004-06:00

Another recipe for ya today. This Pineapple Cream Cheese Ball is probably one of my most favorite appetizer/finger foods to eat. Every time I take it to a function it gets great reviews and it gets eaten up. If not, I know my family will eat the leftovers because they love it , too.

This is another one of my church Christmas party foods. That's why it has the cute, chubby santa clause spreader stuck in it. It's so cute! And yes, I did serve this with crackers, but when I took the pic the crackers hadn't made it on the platter, yet. It goes well with Ritz or a wheat cracker. Enjoy!
Pineapple Cream Cheese Ball
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 c. chopped red bell pepper(optional)
2 Tbsp. chopped onion(optional)
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1c. chopped pecans

Combine all ingredients except 3/4 c. of the pecans. Mix well. Shape into a ball. Cover ball with plastic wrap and chill until firm. When firm, roll in the remaining 3/4 c. of pecans.

German Chocolate Cake Balls

2011-01-18T08:48:00.005-06:00

Yes. I know Christmas is over. No. I don't care! I'm showing you these German Chocolate Cake Balls anyway! I made these this year for our ladies Christmas activity at church. Just a few days before my husband went into the hospital. Needless to say, this was one of the only desserts I made during the holiday season. It pales in comparison to my usual holiday baking.

These would be good for any party you're having! If you don't like German chocolate, change it up with any flavor cake mix and frosting. I've had cake balls a couple times and loved them. A couple years ago, a friend dropped some red velvet ones by our house for Christmas and I literally ate every.single. one. I know. Shame on me. The rest of the family got none! And I probably gained 10 pounds!

You can serve them in little mini muffin cups or try the cake pops by inserting a lollipop stick! So yum!

German Chocolate Cake Balls
1 box German Chocolate cake mix
ingredients to make cake
1 jar coconut-pecan frosting
white or chocolate almond bark

Bake cake according to package directions.Cool cake. Crumble up cooled cake in a large bowl. Mix in the jar of frosting and mix well. You shouldn't be able to see the frosting. Form mixture into walnut size balls and put on cookie sheet. (If you're doing cake pops, insert your lollipop sticks now) Put balls in freezer for about an hour. Melt almond bark according to package directions. Dip balls into almond bark. Coating completely. Cool on wax paper covered cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.